RTW?

Hi

I really want to visit the cook islands as part of my RTW ticket. Is it best to go after NZ? We're thinking of visiting end of jan for a few weeks ; what is the weather like? Also where abouts is the best places to go: Rarotonga and Aitutaki? We're looking for chilled out, cheap place with some snorkelling and diving. thats all!!

Thanks.

S.xx

What is the weather like at the end of Jan..? Can be wet and windy, will definitely be hot and humid. It is officially part of the cyclone season, so there is always the possibility of a cyclone or two as well. It's one of those "how long is a piece of string?" questions, I'm afraid.

The Cook Islands are beautiful and definitely a great place to visit, however they could never be described as a "cheap place", unfortunately. Budget on costs slightly higher than Australia, with less range of products.

When you visit the islands (ie before or after NZ), depends on where you are coming from and where you are going to. From Rarotonga, you can fly directly to Nadi (Fiji), Auckland (NZ), or LA (USA) via Air NZ, Christchurch (Virgin Blue) or to Tahiti via Air Tahiti/Air Rarotonga. It depends on what sort of RTW ticket you are getting as to which way it is best to route your flights. Keep in mind, prices between Raro and NZ tend to be really high in the weeks leading up to Christmas (as Cook Islanders come home for Christmas) and at the end of January (as everyone goes back to NZ/Aus again).

Rarotonga and Aitutaki are the most "touristed" of all the islands. It depends what you are looking for. Most of the islands are chilled out, and there is great snorkelling on several of them. I think diving is only available commercially on Rarotonga and Aitutaki - but I have never really checked, so don't take that as gospel! Flights to the outer islands are not cheap, either!

I hope I don't sound too negative. On a daily basis I encounter backpackers wailing that they never thought the Pacific would be so expensive, so it is better to go in with your eyes completely open!! The same backpackers usually rave about how beautiful it all is too, though!

Good luck with your plans.

thanks, thats definitely something to keep in mind, being on budget and all! not sure where esle would be a good stop off?

Fiji, maybe? Depending on the ticket that you get, Fiji is a cheaper option than CI as there are many more low-end accommodation options available, if budget is a primary consideration. It is also a major travel hub of the Pacific, so easy to fly in and out of. There is great snorkelling and diving and it is relatively easy (and much cheaper than CI) to get off the "beaten track" should you choose to. I hope I haven't put you off CI completely - it is a beautiful country - however I have a daughter backpacking RTW at the moment and I know how important it is to get honest opinions - especially concerning costs! Both Fiji and CI are great places, so you can't really go too far wrong whichever you choose.

No its great i prefer honesty, i just assumed it would be cheaper!! maybe a week in the cooks then fiji..... thanks!! xx

The range of diving/snorkelling locations is much bigger in Fiji, not surprising given there are more islands and reef complexes. Accomodation is cheaper too but only in the more touristy locations, so if you want to visit some of the better dive/snorkel sites, these are remoter, accommodation more limited and expensive. In the Cooks, Rarotonga has some good snorkelling and dive spots and again, cheap accommodation. Aitutaki is utterly beautiful, although plane fares are not cheap and there is only one backpacker-priced accommodation place on the island now. Good diving and chilling out options though. Having just come back from a RTW including stops in Fiji, Raro and Aitutaki, I loved all three and Fiji and Cooks have different cultures and peoples. You gotta ask yourself these questions – how much are you spending on the total cost of your RTW, whether you’re ever likely to get the chance/time to visit the south Pacific again, and do you soend some time away from the usual tourist routes. Maybe that’ll help you answer whether spending the bit extra is worth it (worked for me!).

Your big concern will be whether you can include the Cooks on your RTW ticket. It's hard to do if you also want to visit Tahiti (well, it's an extra fee). But if you watch where you stay, and cook for yourself, the Cooks can be as cheap as Fiji for most things.

Hi Sarah
Skyline is right by saying "You got to ask yourself these questions...." .That's excactly what we did on our tirp to NZ. We usually go to Sri Lanka every year to see friends and visit near by countries on short side trips. But we really wanted to see South Pacific Island life and wouldn't have got another chance/ time see SP, so we decided to go to RAR and AIT which was great but cost a lot extra as it was not included on our ticket. Usually, you can get Fiji attached to any standard RTW form the UK but The Cooks Islands are not. Think hard about it, whether you want to spend that extra bit.
I have not done any diving in the Cooks but snorkelled there in several places. I found it was very average. If you are a serious diver/ snorkeller you would find it is a bit disappointing. The colours of the sea, pure white sandy beaches with broken corals and deserted tiny Islands were magical.In my opinion Maldives, Indonesia and even closer to home Red Sea offer better diving and snorkelling.
Regards
S